Odd couplings reveal some new insights in this outstanding episode
Grade: B+Stars: Hugh Laurie, Jesse Spencer, Jennifer Morrison, Robert Sean Leonard, Peter Jacobson, Olivia Wilde, Lisa Edelstein, Omar Epps
Writer(s): Eli Attie, Peter Blake (IV), Russel Friend, Garrett Lerner
Director: Hugh Laurie
Release Date: Monday, April 12, 2010
Rating: NR
Hugh Laurie directed tonight’s episode, “Lockdown”, and he leveled viewers with an emotionally heavy HOUSE that really tugged at you from so many different angles. There were moments of laugh out loud comedy, scenes of painful sadness, and feelings of genuine relief. To say tonight’s episode was good is a disservice. While “Broken” may still be the high watermark of the season (although “The Tyrant” is still my personal favorite), “Lockdown” was exceptional in its own right. It was a fresh take on what is traditionally a procedural show that resulted in a brilliant all around performance from the director on down.
Download HOUSE - SEASON SIX - 'Lockdown' EPISODE
As mentioned, this was not your typical HOUSE episode. There was no mystery disease and no last second House (Hugh Laurie) heroics. When a newborn goes missing, the hospital goes into lockdown mode (hence the title). Everyone must stay where they are until the lockdown is lifted. That leaves for odd pairings, people who normally don’t interact are now forced to deal with each other for an extended period. In the process, we learn a lot about these characters from a unique perspective.
The pairings are: Chase and Cameron (Jesse Spencer and Jennifer Morrison), Taub and Foreman (Peter Jacobson and Omar Epps), Wilson and Thirteen (Robert Sean Leonard and Olivia Wilde), and House and dying patient named Nash (David Strathairn).
What happens so often during a show is that characters become stuck in a certain mold and never get the opportunity to expand much further. HOUSE consistently does a great job of keeping the characters fresh, but inevitably even these characters can become somewhat predictable.
“Lockdown” gave the cast the opportunity to try out something new. It’s doubtful that you will see a stoned Foreman and Taub joking punch each other in the face, witness Wilson attempt to steal a dollar from the cafeteria, or see Thirteen ever flash anyone again. It’s also extremely doubtful that House will let his guard down as completely as he did with Nash.
But what made “Lockdown” truly phenomenal was seeing how vulnerable, and human, these people are. It was touching to see Chase and Cameron duke it out one last time in an effort to finally figure out what really went wrong in their marriage. It was nice to see Foreman lose the tough guy act for once, as it was just as nice to learn that Taub, contrary to his pushover image, was actually an exceptional and adventurous doctor.
